captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, everybody. so glad you're with us today. it's fun day monday. it's april 16th already. and it is full-fledged spring here in the new york area. >> which means it's full-fledged thong day here. 87 degrees is the high. >> we're going to talk a little bit about this thing you can get and lose 20 pounds in ten days. >> it's sick. >> maybe then we'll talk about the thong thing after that.

>> but it is so weird to have these summer temps. >> and it's weird to see everything blooming all at once. we're used to back here the crocus. you're ready to croak by the time you see one in winter, right? then you see your daffodils, then you see your tulips. everything's bloomed all at once which i don't really like. the peonies are already starting -- >> i know. it's going to be getting cold again -- well, not cold but in the 60s again later in the week. >> well, that's how it should be. that's seasonal. don't complain, hoda. >> you know i don't do that. how was your weekend? >> it was awesome for a weekend i actually worked a lot. it was an awesome weekend. because it was just beautiful. i'm writing all weekend long and if i'm writing i'm looking out at the water and the trees. it's just -- >> you're working on amy some more. >> yes. you know what? i will not give up until there's no hope left. that's the musical i've been trying to bring to broadway for 12 years. >> and soon within the covers of "people" magazine -- can we talk

about that? >> sure. you know what? cass and i on friday we did a little shoot for "people" magazine for the mother's day issue. but again, we were home, and it was a beautiful day. so it doesn't seem like work. how was yours, my darling? whose bra is showing. >> that's how it is. >> you've got to flaunt it. >> no. that's why the flowers are strategically -- okay. anyway. don't mess with me. what did we do? jay and i, we sat outside, we had drinks, we went to a movie. and last night we ended up going to this thing -- the mayor had this dinner and it was for all the mayors around the country that came together. >> a big thing. >> there he is. >> you look like twice his size. >> i am. i'm a big girl. >> no. but you're not -- >> please get on to other pictures. oh, my gosh. maybe it is me. let's see if the third one holds

true, too. >> you're not in it. >> brian and his wife were there. anyway, it was a nice group of people and it was all the mayors getting together to talk about the initiatives, education -- it was a nice way to spend a sunday evening. >> i wonder how brian and his wife spent it watching their daughter in this very steamy hbo. my daughter's an actress. when i hear about what these girls are doing on that show, this mama would have a problem with it very much. >> they're aware of everything that's going on. they're trying to get home at 10:30. it's called "girls." it's on hbo. they know about that part of it. >> knowing about it and watching it are two different things. anyway, we wish her the best. apparently she's very talented. i remember the time that cody met her one day. he was covering something. i think it was for our show for some movie event or something like that. and brian was there with allison. right? that's her name. and brian was very funny. i wish we had that, you guys, in our archives. we should show that picture. where brian just basically says back off, buddy. you know? yeah. now after cody sees this, watch him try to keep him away.

all right. >> so here we are. >> what are we going to do with our secretary of state? >> don't you love her even more? come on. >> you know what? she's got to let off a little steam now and then, too. why should it just be the secret service guys? >> she was in colombia. she had a beer. so what? they said she was there for a short period of time. by the way, i think drinking beer out of a bottle is cool. how about that? >> your college days at virginia tech, isn't it? >> how about a corona with a lime in it? how else are you drinking the beer? >> i like beer in a mug. a frosted mug with crabs in the summertime. anyway, it is not about us. you know what it's about? it's about brangelina. i bet they hate being called brangelina. let's show them respect. brad pitt and angelina jolie are engaged officially. beautiful, beautiful ring that -- she didn't make a big deal about it. she just showed up at a museum with the kids and brad and got

the first shot of it. >> they've been together seven years -- >> is that a beer she's holding? >> it looks like champagne. >> oh, champagne. >> and they have how many kids? >> six. >> six kids after seven years. >> and the kids apparently were the ones who wanted them to tie the knot. so they're going to do that. that wedding is going to be something. don't you think? >> you know what i like about them? what they will do is they will have unbelievable security. they're going to get married apparently. we're going to talk more about it in our gossip a little bit later. but apparently, they're going to get married at their chateau in france, which is very isolated, very gorgeous. >> sure. >> and they'll probably sell the pictures of it, control the whole thing. but everything they sell goes to charity. they're both very, very involved in great charities. you've got to play the game, you've got to feed the beast. at least let somebody get helped in the process. >> for all the other brides who are also thinking about getting married, you're not going to believe this way to drop weight. it is almost kind of sick. i think. >> i think it's ingenious. but it's also sick.

>> here's what they do. they put a feeding tube in your nose and down your throat. >> mm-hmm. >> okay? you carry with you a sack -- don't look. la, la, la. but then look back at us. they carry a purse with your calories in it. it's called -- whatever the -- >> it's your food for the next ten days. >> you carry that bag around. you sleep, i would imagine, with the bag in bed. >> so does my mother with her purse. >> you go to work -- it costs $1,500 for eight days. >> only 800 calories. that's all you get. >> they say you drop 20 pounds in a week. >> in ten days. >> in ten days. >> we're a little afraid to tell you that. because at first everybody goes, oh, that's awful. then you learn 20 pounds in ten days. it's not that awful. i guess i could do five days. lose five pounds. >> they say there are all kinds of issues. because number one, that tube has to stay down there. there could be some infections. who knows what the other problems are with it? but you're carrying around a bag all the time.

and if it gets knocked out, what if someone -- you fall down? >> what if you have a nightmare and it flops out of your nose in the middle of it -- >> oh. la, la, la. >> i know. you've got to look -- you've got to think these things through. >> something the mayor said last night at that dinner that surprised me. he said more people are dying now from obesity in the world than from famine. when you think about that -- obesity-related diseases, diabetes, all those different things. and he said obesity used to be a rich person's disease and now it's become a poor person's disease because it's more readily accessible. >> fast food is cheaper and -- >> it makes you -- it really made you think. anyway, that's a downer. >> wow. >> sorry. >> but there's hope for people who don't have chins. >> right. here's something that's great. if you guys have been skyping with your friends and you've seen yourself while you're skiepg, and you know how you have to put the camera at the right angle.

otherwise it's shooting up and -- it's freaking aot lf people out. they're starting to get chin augmentation surgeries. they're getting bigger chins because they don't like what they look like. >> it does make a huge difference. it's the fastest-growing plastic surgery trend. it's bigger than breast augmentation and botox and something else put together. >> percentages. >> just the percentage of the increase in its growth. >> yeah. 20,000 americans, by the way, got chin implants. >> we did the math. that's one chin implant every 25 minutes in 2011. >> we didn't do the math. >> obviously, i didn't. that costs between $3,500 and $7,500. if you add that to the $1,500 to lose your 20 pounds you're going to be out a little bit but the good news is you're going to get your tax refund. so pretty soon, turbo tax tells us, you're going to have all that money and go straight to your favorite plastic surgeon. >> here's the thing i love. when you get a tax refund it's

such a trip. like it's so much fun when the check comes. the feeling of the check in the mail. >> it's your money. it's not like winning the lottery. it's your money. >> but it feels like it. because you forgot you have it. >> how dumb are you? >> because you took it out of your salary. who knows? it's so exciting to get it. anyway, 30% of women and 21% of men say that tax refunds are more satisfying than sex. >> i'd like to know who they're having sex with. you know what i'm saying? you got to think these things through. 73% said the day their refund comes through it is more exciting than christmas or their birthday. >> i agree. there's something so fun when it comes. >> have you filed? >> no. but when i do i'll check the mail. >> tomorrow is the day, hoda. >> no. it isn't. it is the day for some people but for the other lazier people there's another date. >> and apparently most of them -- the most procrastination is in san francisco. >> october is my date. >> do you then file again? eventually you have to pay the tax man, hoda woman.

taxes and death. the only thing you can truly count on in life. boy, if that isn't a downer, nothing is. this whole thing about the working moms as opposed to the stay-at-home moms. >> as you guys know, hilary rosen, a democratic pundit, went on tv, and her quote was, speaking of ann romney, mitt romney's wife, "she's never worked a day in her life." >> started a firestorm. >> now, that caused explosions all over. ann romney responded. she said, "i made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. believe me, it was hard work." i haven't really heard anyone on hilary rosen's side on that one. i haven't heard anybody. >> no, i think she's probably regretting that five seconds more than anything. the irony of it is she's -- she is an expert in communications. so i don't think she had any concept of how much power there is in that few amount of words. >> i think later on in that she talked about the economics of it.

i think she was leaning more toward as she went on they have a lot of money and they don't understand what struggling's like. and i think -- >> except that hilary rosen probably doesn't understand what it's like to battle breast cancer and also every single day deal with multiple sclerosis. you know, all of this stuff is just ugly. it's really, really ugly. >> we're going to turn the beat around on this show. so what we have decided to do, we found out how much a working mom is actually worth. they crunched the numbers at salary.com. >> because of the jobs she actually does. >> here's how much the working moms are worth. if you're at home. $112,940.45. that's more than $100,000. so you know what we're going to do? >> well, first of all, i do want to say one thing about that. what they've come up with, that is the amount. i said how many children are we talking about? and they didn't put that into the equation. so, i mean, i had two children. that should be worth a little

less than the octomom. you know what i mean? >> well, here's what's good. you guys are going to love this at home. we've teamed up with salary.com and we have a contest. we are going to find the mother that deserves that title. and you know what the winner's going to get? $112,962.45. >> how about that? that is awesome. >> am i eligible? >> no. go to klgandhoda.com and tell us what makes you the best mom and also submit a picture of you and your family. we're going to pick three finalists. you're going to come to new york city with members of your family for mother's day weekend. >> how fun. >> the contest ends april 27th at 11:59. >> all travel and accommodations are provided by salary.com. time for favorite things. >> you go. >> we're getting to the point we're an old fart married couple. >> they don't like when you say

that. >> okay. old flatulence married couple. so favorite things. everybody's always asking -- the thing i brought in today originally was too expensive. i didn't realize it. it was a great little thing i'm going to give you later that a lady had sent in to me. in the meantime you're also asking about nails. and you're asking about glow minerals. the nails are san tantonio. told you about that a long time ago. o.p.i. but this is glow minerals. it's got that -- the color is pink blossom. it's $16. and it's got that -- what is it called? revestarol. the good thing in red wine. what is the name of that? that's it. you know what i mean. maybe that's why i like this gloss so much. it's terrific. it's really moist and good for your lips. >> my favorite was if you're -- if you come to new york and you want to get your hair blown out, we're very lucky because we have laura every day would takes care of us. in a sunday, a place called the dry bar. it's in new york. check it out. 40 bucks for a blowout. in new york, you guys, that's inexpensive here. you can't get a blowout here for under 60 bucks usually.

anyway, that's all they do. they do wash and blow out, wash and blow out. and they serve drinks. it's a bar. >> and you spend most of the weekend there, don't you? >> what you got, sara? >> kathie and i had a conversation before the show. this is my favorite thing. my best friend erin got this for me for christmas. it's the state of iowa right here. the heart is the county i grew up in. so it's by heirloom. and this woman designed them because at her own wedding they wanted a cute way to display cheese, so they did states. so i got you new orleans and -- >> i know you're not loyal to any place, so i just gave you france. i go what the heck is this? that's corsica. france owns corsica. this is a cutting board. >> they're $40 but they're such a unique gift. >> it's very sweet. and thank you very much. >> what were the big stories in tinseltown this weekend? >> we'll have all the juicy details on today' >> andy

>> andy cohen's in the house. >> see, we did it again, hoda.

♪ all right, "today's buzz," new details on brangelina's engagement. legendary bee gees singer robin gibb being hospitalized for a pneumonia. plenty to talk about. >> and here to dish the latest scoop, our friend bravo's andy cohen, the host of "watch what happens live" and the host of an "snl" parody, mr. fancy. you were on "snl." >> isn't it great? >> highest form of flattery. >> yes, it is. keep remembering that. >> talk to us about brangelina. >> wow. the ring. estimated by "people" magazine to be a $1 million ring. he spent a year working on it. 10 carats, they think. and it is yellow gold -- >> looks like an emerald cut. >> the ring is surrounded by a band of yellow gold, and it's gorgeous. yes? >> it is beautiful. >> anything on her. she could do a gum wrapper one around her finger. >> he's known he wanted to do

this for year. so everyone's been -- >> apparently. he designed it. he has legendarily great taste. in homes, women, decor, clothes, everything. and so they're saying 200 to 300 people this summer, south of france, at their chateau. no doubt the two of you are on the list. >> of course! >> yes. so it will be great. >> ann will probably be invited. she's very close to both of them. >> let's talk pippa middleton. this photograph was very surprising. she's in a car with a guy next to her who looks like he's holding a gun. >> three guys in paris in an audi convertible. the driver is waving what looks to be a gun. can't tell if it's a -- >> yeah, there it is. >> can't tell if it's a real gun or a fake gun, but it's causing all sorts of controversy. >> either way -- >> well, by the way, it is illegal to brandish a fake or real gun -- >> in france? >> yeah. >> is that where they were?

>> that's right. that was in france. this is burning up the presses over there. >> it is sort of weird for pippa. like she didn't marry a prince. she didn't do -- she's just -- >> still. she's going to be the object of all kinds of intense scrutiny. >> everybody loves her fanny, kathie lee. >> hey, i love her fanny. >> i do, too. >> i wish i had her fanny. >> i do, too! >> let's leave my fanny alone and get on to the next thing -- >> no, i don't wish you had her fanny -- >> yeah, yeah, yeah. you said it. it's already out there. >> a couple of different stories. ryan o'neal revealed he has stage 4 prostate cancer. >> he said that the prognosis, though, is good. >> which i can't -- that seems look an oxymoron, doesn't it? that the prognosis is good and you have stage 4, which is the most dire. >> i know. he's got a book coming out about his life with farrah in a few weeks. she of course famously died of anal cancer. so very sad. and then robin gibb, this is another sad story. he's been battling a few kinds

of cancer, and there had been speculation that he had beaten it. he was very upbeat a few months ago. and now he is -- >> he's got a pneumonia. and he's in a coma. >> yes, exactly. >> andy, thank you for coming. >> really ended on an upper there. >> hey! good to see you, buddy. >> good to see you, kathie lee. >> up next, are you our fan of the week? >> i doubt it. >> get ready to find out right after this. there she is ! hey, i got a leak ! yoo hoo ! wait a minute, come back ! um, miss ? up here! right. like 85% of us, you have hard water stains and that cleaner's not gonna cut it. truth is, you need something powerful. you need lime-a-way. it's 4 times more effective at removing limescale than the leading bathroom cleaner. because lime-a-way is specially formulated to conquer hard water stains. for lime, calcium and rust... lime-a-way is a must. ♪

icy, cool flavor in a delicious 5-calorie stick of gum. ♪ polar ice. from extra. [ female announcer ] been looking for excedrin lately? now for your tough headache pain, turn to the long-lasting strength of aleve. problem solved. ♪ problem solved. having one of those days? tired. groggy. can't seem to get anything done. it makes for one, lousy day. but when you're alert and energetic... that's different. you're more with it, sharper, getting stuff done. this is why people choose 5-hour energy over 9-million times a week. it gives them the alert, energetic feeling they need to get stuff done. 5-hour energy...when you gotta get stuff done.

and on the go... ...with some really big news. it's b-i-g, big. high speed internet from at&t at home... includes wi-fi access on the go -- whoo-hoo! it's an unbelievable deal. it's an unbelievable deal. [ both chuckle ] well, gotta go! but, wait, there's more! [ female announcer ] go to the website below today and get high speed internet for the unbelievably low price of just $14.95 a month

for 12 months with a 1-year price guarantee. it's all the speed you need at a great price. you can chill online at a park. here, pigie, pigie. [ pigeon coos ] and surf the web at your favorite bookstore. our internet at home includes access to the entire national at&t wi-fi hot spot network on the go. [ female announcer ] go to the website below and get high speed internet for just $14.95 a month for 12 months with a 1-year price guarantee. that's all the speed you need at a great price. it's an unbelievable deal, so why wait? act now! act now! like he said. ♪

♪ it is monday. and that means it's time to meet our "fan of the week" and find out where the lucky winner's going. >> and the lovely sara is here to do the honors. >> thank you. this is one of the best parts for me. drum roll, please. our winner is karen benavidez. from kingsville, texas. she watches on kris-tv, channel 6. karen recently had a baby, left her job and moved across the country with her husband. she says it was a lot of change but your bright smiles and familiar faces have kept her company through it all.

now that she's a stay-at-home mom karen and her son rock out to the ihoda playlist and today's talk is the perfect substitute for workplace banter. her favorite part of the show is the ambush makeover. she loves seeing the transformations and has even ambushed her son at home. you can always hear them singing "louis licari la-la-la-la-la." together on thursdays. congratulations, karen. since this is nbc universal's green week, we are sending you on a four-day, threenight trip for two to the eco-friendly leed-certified hotel in chicago, illinois. the trip includes dinner for two and breakfast for two every day at an elite restaurant. it also includes two spa treatments and round-trip air fare for two. the hotel and airfare accommodations have been provided by hotel felix chicago. >> good for her. >> congratulations, karen. >> that will be fun after that big trip and everything. just go up someplace romantic. thank you. still ahead, heather armstrong, the mommy blogger with more than a million twitter followers. >> whoa. >> lots to talk about.

how the latest inductee into the "joy fit club" lost a whopping 250 pounds. and it did not involve a feeding tube. >> no. >> green gadgets, that are fun for the family and friendly to the environment. all of that coming up after your local news. what is that? follow the wings. [ male announcer ] cookies

with smooth caramel and chocolate. ♪ hmm twix. also available in peanut butter. i used to not travel very much, but then i discovered hotwire. now, i use all my vacation days. i can afford to visit my folks for the holidays. and reconnect with my girlfriends in vegas. because i get ridiculously low prices on all my trips. you see, when hotels have unsold rooms,

they use hotwire to fill them, so i get 4-star hotels for up to half off. now i can afford a romantic trip to new orleans. hi honey! ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e... ♪ hotwire.com ♪ >> announcer: "today's moms" is brought to you by p&g future friendly. see the big in the little things you do. we're back on this fun day monday with "today's moms." and one very popular mommy blogger, heather armstrong is not only a mom but she's been recognized by "forbes" magazine as one of the most influential women in media. >> wow. it all began in 2001 when heather began writing online about her personal life, touching on everything from her marriage to the birth of her children. well, now she's got about a million and a half twitter follower and her blog attracts about 200,000 readers a day.

she is known as the queen of mommy bloggers and has been named one of "forbes" magazine's 30 most influential women in media. her blog was also included in "time" magazine's best blogs list in 2011. it is heather's candor and honesty that attracts her followers as the mother of two chronicles the joys and heartaches of her family. including the stunning announcement of her recent split from her husband after almost a decade of marriage. "i am sad and devastated but i'm not sure i've ever been more stable than i am right now." she credits her loyal followers with helping her get through the tough times. "i'm so incredibly touched by your words of encouragement and sympathy. yes, i am a stranger. i don't know you. but that's the amazing thing about this medium." >> now heather has a new book out called "dear daughter," a compilation of letters she began writing when her 8-year-old daughter, lita, was born. good to see you. all the way from salt lake city. you know, it's funny because there are so many blogs out

there. i even have friends who've done mommy blogs but not all of them get traction. for some reason yours did. what made it unique, do you think? >> i think there's a few, you know -- there's a few things. i've been around for a long time. >> you got in early on. >> i got in pretty early. and i sort of write in a conversational style, and i say a lot of things that people probably would like to say but are uncomfortable to say, and i just -- i don't care. >> because you're that way naturally, just you're -- >> i'm that way naturally. i got that from my father, i think. >> so you're blunt. you're kind of a blunt girl. >> i'm blunt. i'm southern and i have a mouth on me. i think also, you know, i think there's a huge community around what we do as mommy bloggers -- oh, my god -- i hate that word. i really hate that word. but i don't know. mostly it's just speaking the truth and trying to be as authentic as possible. >> so everybody can relate to you that's actually reading what you say. >> i hope.

>> when you separated from and split from your husband, i mean that must have really devastated a lot of the readers because they've been with you for so many years. >> yeah. it was -- i was really scared to write about it. scared -- you know, a lot of people have their own experiences and their own perspective on this type of situation. and you know, i didn't go into the details, and i never will go into the details. so people are confused and hurt. >> and he's still the father of your two beautiful girls. >> he's still the father of -- >> you want a relationship with the three of them. >> i don't want anybody thinking anything bad about him. i'm trying to walk a fine balance there. >> yeah. you've got to navigate that very carefully. especially with a mouth like yours, right? >> yes. >> now, the book that you've written, these letters that you've written your daughter, and your daughter actually saw the copy when it arrived in the mail. >> she did. >> and you used an expletive. >> did i use an expletive? >> yes. you probably did. >> i probably did.

yeah. it was sitting on the countertop, and i was over a few feet away, and i saw her pick it up, and i was like, no. >> because she can read now. >> she can read, yes. >> quite well, actually. >> quite well. she sat down with it, and i held my breath and waited for her to get through a couple of pages. and she started laughing and giggling. i thought, okay, mission accomplished. she read it within a couple of days. >> were you holding your breath the entire time? >> the entire time. >> because there are things that -- you know, my one question to you is because we often go through this. you say things in the spur of the moment and it seems fine, and then you later say, ooh -- >> why did i say that? >> it doesn't happen very often but once in a while. >> really. >> were there things you were sorry that you shared, things you felt like shouldn't have been -- crossed the line in any way? >> well, no. this book was heavily edited. you know, if there was anything that i thought at the time you know, was okay to say and now that it wasn't okay, i've gone back and made sure that things are smooth. >> quickly, do you worry about that with the blog? because when you hit send it's out there.

>> yeah. i worry about it all the time. but that's the nature of the medium. >> so you read it over a couple of times before you send it out? >> sometimes. sometimes i don't. >> that's terrific. >> good for you. >> we wish you all the best. >> good luck with your beautiful family. >> thanks, heather. up next, she lost 250 pounds. just wait until you see how the latest member of the "joy fit club" looks now. right after this. ♪ lysol knows a real clean isn't just something you see. it's something you smell. lysol no mess automatic toilet bowl cleaner not only cleans your toilet with every flush, but also freshens your entire bathroom. so even in between deep cleans, it's as fresh as any room in your home. available in spring waterfall™, citrus, and lavender fields™ scents. for tips on a healthy home, visit lysol.com/missionforhealth. regular men's body wash can dry out your skin. only dove men+care has micromoisture to fight skin dryness.

so that manhide of yours stays clean and moisturized. skin care built in. when i'm on the night shift. when they have more energy than i do. when i don't feel like working out. when there isn't enough of me to go around. ♪ when i have school. and work. every morning. it's faster and easier than coffee. every afternoon when that 2:30 feeling hits. -every day. -every day. every day is a 5-hour energy day. [ male announcer ] 5-hour energy. every day.

♪ time for look at me now, the "joy fit club." and the induction of its newest member. >> 45-year-old charlotte erickson from nina, arkansas lost 250 lbs. before we meet charlotte let's take a look at her amazing story. >> my name is charlotte erickson. i'm 45 years old and i lost 250 pounds. i grew up in a family where we all had weight issues. but i loved food more than anyone else. as i got older, i would eat from the minute i woke up until i went to bed.

my meals consisted of sugar, carbohydrates, and sodas. i would supersize everything and polish off not only my share but my daughter's share, too. in life i was successful in almost anything i put my mind to. i graduated from nursing school and raised four kids as a single mom. but the only thing i couldn't do on my own was lose the weight. at one point the scale tipped to 400 pounds. even the size 5x clothing was too tight. i decided to give weight watchers another try. i had been on and off of it for a while, but this time i took it seriously. i learned about portion control, and i would track my food every day. then i started moving. first around the block, then on the treadmill, and last month i completed a half marathon. today i am proud to say that i'm

a weight loss success story. i can't wait to fly to new york and share my experiences. this time free of the seatbelt extension. >> aw! >> go girl! >> what a great story. before we ask her to come out, joy's here to tell us about her eating habits. >> so this woman is so smart and so compassionate. you heard, she put herself through nursing school, and she's got a thriving career. she had her own biological daughter and then adopted three daughters from china. >> she's cooking for four kids. >> it's amazing. but at the same time she was paralyzed by her obesity. so sugar was her demise. this is what in one day she was eating. and this is just a sample. for breakfast in the morning, she had four toaster breakfast pastries. 19 teaspoons of sugar. then she would have this rich coffee concoction. another 19 teaspoons. >> she never heard of splenda, huh? >> at lunch she'd have a large vanilla milkshake. 26 teaspoons of sugar. >> probably with a sandwich or

something as well. >> this is just a sampling. so now she's learned to wipe out the added sugar, and she really satisfies her sweet tooth with natural sugars. all of the great produce. the berries. frozen mangos. even things like sugar snap peas and grapefruits and bell peppers. >> these actually taste fantastic. >> yeah. >> she's down 250 pounds. >> i can't wait. >> that's amazing. >> let's take a look at her before photo. there's charlotte before. come on out, charlotte. let us take a look at you. >> whoo! >> oh, my gosh. >> oh, my gosh. >> i'm going to take away the pants. >> whoo! >> oh, my gosh! >> that may be the most insane one. >> where did you put charlotte? where is she? >> i'm here. >> oh, my gosh. >> simply miraculous. >> oh, my gosh. >> i could wrap her -- that is crazy. >> that is amazing. how long did it take you? >> about 27, 28 months.

>> but that's slow and steady, honey. >> that is unbelievable. are your friends and your kids must be freaking, huh? >> they like it. i have a lot more energy. we go places and do things. >> she found love. she got married a year ago. and she has another stepdaughter now. so now there's five kids. >> yeah. >> so you're married with five kids. do you recognize the woman who we see in those pictures? >> i -- yeah, i know her. i remember her. i remember her. >> but you don't want to be her again. >> no. >> we're so happy for you. >> congratulations. >> what an inspiration for everybody. thank you. >> i'm going to chuck these jeans. >> happy mother's day coming up. >> thank you so much. coming up, from an ipad to a new pair of kicks going green -- ecofriendly gadgets after this. good morning. i'm meteorologist chris warren with your weather channel forecast. we're going to see more rain in

the southeast eventually working up into the mid-atlantic. this is where we'll have the best chance of some of that heavy rain, possibly a few severe storms, damaging winds. large hail will be a possibility. and that flooding with all of that rain. something to watch out for throughout the course of the day today. another system working through the northern rockies. still some very mild air if not warm air for a huge part of the country from the plains with the 70s to upper 70s in boston. now it was even warmer than this after the marathon, got up into the 80s. record-breaking day in boston yesterday. but today cooler a little bit here. but still pleasant temperatures. 78 also in atlanta. mid 80s in orlando. and still warm before minneapolis. and we're going to see those storms move back in. the wind will be moving out. rain moving into the great lakes. and the storms we see in the southeast are just going to scoot a little farther east, right along the east coast on up to parts of the mid-atlantic. getting close to the d.c. and maryland areas. and then we're going to see more rain. it eventually moves out,

replaced by warm air. temperatures right around 80 degrees in dallas and albuquerque. then by thursday that next storm will be to the north, getting a little bit of a break in the south. 70s and 80s. and then it looks like by friday we're going to see another system that's going to move to the south, and what that's going to do is it is going to cut off and it's going to just kind of linger. and as it does it's going to produce some heavy rain at times. and here you see it on friday. and it is going to move from friday over to the east coast. and this is when we can see a huge soaker from the southeast all the way up to the northeast. we're going to see a whole bunch of rain. could see two to four inches of rain this weekend through monday along parts of the east coast. weekdays on the weather channel, you can "wake up with al." hey, i'm joey aragon. see that film? people call me about this every day. my dishwasher must be broken. you know, it's not always the machine. it may be the detergent.

add finish power up to boost your detergent and you'll see a huge difference. watch what it can do. look at that sparkle! now that's clean! cloudiness! spots! tough stains! even dishwasher build-up! gone! just like that! so don't give up. add finish power up. wow! see the difference! it's a must have! [ male announcer ] tough on sweat. ♪ not on skin. get powerful 48 hour sweat protection plus 1/4 moisturizer technology. only with dove men + care deodorant. i'm here to unleash my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn. [ horse neighs ] hold up partner. prilosec isn't for fast relief. try alka-seltzer. it kills heartburn fast. yeehaw!

♪ go green time now for "today goes green" with ecofriendly products for you in your home, there are many gadgets on the market that can help you help the environment and that can also make your life a little easier. >> steve green is the author of "gadget nation" and co-host of the upcoming food network series called "invention hunters," where he'll travel around the country looking for the newest product to improve your kitchen. >> congratulations. >> hanging around here, i need to get some work. >> first up, green paint. i don't just mean the paint color is green. but these are paints that are all completely natural, non-toxic, biodegradable made from things like pomegranates and from blueberries and from beets. and here -- take a little try. i did a little myself over here. and you can really make -- it's pretty cool. and it's all non-toxic, all -- what are you doing there? >> i'm doing you some lips. >> oh, i love it. very, very sexy. very cool. they start around $12.

the average set is about 20 and up. >> i could do this all day. >> yes, you could. >> hey. >> next, you've seen these -- this looks like construction work fences. >> i hate them. >> they've taken them from abandoned construction sites and turned them into these bags. >> that is a great idea. >> recycled. >> the bottoms of them are cool because the bottoms are from those boards you see, those plastic signs on the construction sites. they use the signs, the corrugated boards to fill in the bottom. >> those are very cute. >> they're about 40 bucks from uncommongoods.com. >> they've got the little bamboo handles. >> this is again "new york times," you can get arts and leisure section, travel, whatnot, and you've got yourself a really nice bag. these are handmade. cool way to go. again, kind of keep sending out the message to be green, green, all the time. >> they've been plasticized. laminated sort of. >> yeah. >> exactly. surfing, we think of wetsuits. surfing the web maybe you'll

think of surfing -- this is made from surf -- wetsuit material. neoprene. and this is not recycled. this is upcycled. meaning they've taken the remnants from the original and used it for that. it's not like it's a wetsuit that's been converted. >> so it's not wasted. >> exactly. >> is this expensive? >> they're not bad. 28 bucks or so. now this is the first solar ereaders case. >> stop it! >> isn't that a great idea? >> what is it? >> it's a solar kindle. i know. >> yes! >> so this is a very cool thing. open it up. you charge it up. will go three months on just regular daylight, this -- it's got this built-in l.e.d. light for it kiss kind of cool as well. >> can you read well with those outside? >> absolutely. i think it's not a problem. i use mine all the time. it's $79. these sneakers, all of them are from brooks. this is their green styling line. these are all made from recycled materials. tops are made from recycled plastic bottoms -- >> are they running shoes?

>> they are running shoes. they weigh i think 6.9 ounces. great way to go. priced at $100. >> very light. >> and they're pretty cool-looking, too. and all recycled. >> next, just by walking around that energy you use all day long, that extra energy can be harnessed to actually run your electronics. this is called the end power peg. you can actually give it a little shake yourself there. >> why are we shaking it? >> oh, lord. >> you put it in your -- >> oh, i see. >> you put it in your backpack, walk around, or even if you're on a bumpy public bus, the bumping action harnesses electricity. >> i bet it does. >> you can come up with your own ideas for nap. >> okay. >> this is called the energy jewel. this changes color. it's very cool. it lets you know how much energy you're using in your home and the ultimate price of the power you're paying from the electric company. >> that's just going to depress you. >> so when it's green you know it's a good time to run your dishwasher, for example. red, don't -- wait a little. save money. all the detail information is on the bottom of it. we had it here for display.

>> these are motion activated -- these are l.e.d. for hallways or stairwell lights. what's cool is you stick them on but they have a motion sensor on it but the other ones are radio activated. so as one turns on it lights up the lights all the way down and all the way back up. you just stick them on the wall. no wiring needed. >> you know forget, once, steve, that was really great. >> for once! finally. >> yes. congratulations on the new show. >> thank you very much. up next, how to cook a delicious chicken cacciatore. that's what we had last night. starting with jared sauce? >> jarred. >> what's jarred? >> in the jar. >> oh, jarred. it sounded like --

♪ in today's kitchen we're getting saucy. and literally we're getting saucy starting with just a jar of pasta sauce to create a delicious and healthy chicken cacciato cacciatore. >> that's right. this is not jared. when it comes to healthy cooking, "cooking light" contributor allison fishman knows a thing or two about what we're doing here today. how are you doing, allison? >> thanks for having me. >> simple, simple. >> simple, simple. the concept today is it starts with a jar. with a jar of tomato sauce you're in really good shape. this is what they say with a slow food cooking movement. but it comes in a jar so you don't have to spend hours in the kitchen. >> because the sauce can take you hours just there. >> it sure can. so we're starting with the skinless chicken thighs. now, at "cooking light" we want to make things delicious but we

also want to make them healthier by taking out the skin, replacing it with a little olive oil, you're going to have a healthier, lower in saturated fat option. >> you've done that in a little bit of oil. have you cooked it all the way through? >> we're going to finish it in the oven. >> your cacciatore stuff. >> we've got about a minute. i'm going to help you put all this stuff in here. >> look at hoda cooking. >> rosemary, peppers, garlic, this is the flavor we're adding instead of sodium. so there you go. you cook that for about three minutes. >> that smells so good right away. i love that smell. >> then in go the mushrooms. cook that for about six minutes until it cooks down. final step, there's our lower sodium sauce. >> the last thing is the sauce. >> exactly. thank you. >> dump that in. >> dumb. right in. then you just cook until the sauce is heated through. that's about a minute. >> and everything's -- >> by the way, look how good that looks. is that yummy?

>> that looks delicious. except for the green peppers i love it. >> we -- >> i know. i'm sorry. >> then we put it straight in and we coat the bottom of this pan -- thank you. i don't want to burn you. >> with the cacciatore. >> something really important. actually, would you hand me those chicken thighs? thank you. something that's really important is lots of the tomato sauces have over 500 milligrams of sodium. per half cup. >> are you kidding? >> our favorite ones that are lighter, we say keep it under 350. >> 350? okay. >> looking good. >> you just cook that in the oven? >> you just cook this in the oven, put it in the oven just like this. ooh, last one. for 30 minutes. >> do you cover it or just leave it open? >> just leave it open like that. as you can see, it cooks down. the flavors really come together. you're in? >> go for it, hoda. >> all right. >> get some sauce on there for you. >> all right. so thank you so much. while we're tasting this -- what do we have tomorrow? >> jennie garth is going to be with us tomorrow. plus another round of blind auditions for "today's voice for kids."